17th May 2022 - To dig or not to dig...

Reader, I did not dig. This is my first year trying no dig. I'm gardening on an unusual soil combination of London clay and chalk. The soil is very fertile, drains well as it is absolutely full of stones but dries and cracks quickly on the top. 

I was sceptical when I first heard about no dig, but was converted almost immediately when I read Charles Dowding's website and bought one of his books. I like to think it wasn't laziness that swung me, but with a toddler, a garden and trying to become a writer, I need every time saving (and back saving) trick I can get!

I love the hands on and practical aspects of gardening but I'm a bookworm too and I love to read and research absolutely everything before I take the plunge. 

I watched one of Charles Dowding's YouTube videos on his no dig potatoes and was so impressed by the results that it seemed the perfect place to start as I already had my seed potatoes and have grown potatoes successfully using the traditional method for several years. 

So far so good. The preparation was precise but much less time consuming than when we have used the traditional method. Helped by the fact the ground had been weeded and covered over the winter anyway, so a good helping of compost (well rotted horse manure in our case) and all that was left was to wait for the right time to plant. My first earlies went in in the first week of April, second earlies in mid April and then my maincrops in the first week of May. 

This year I've planted Ulster Chieftain, Alouette, Cara and Blue Annelise. Every year I say I will make a note of the ones that do best and plant those, and every year I get lured by interesting varieties!

They are currently coming up beautifully and my first earlies have been earthed up a few times so I will let them get on with things now. There is also a rogue potato from last year popping up between the maincrops so that needs to come out. 

Ulster Chieftain on the left, Alouette on the right.

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Cara on the left, no signs of Blue Annelise as yet.

After the potato positivity, something that's less positive. My summer fruiting raspberries. It's mid-May and they still basically look like twigs in the ground. One has leaves emerging from the stem, one or two have new shoots emerging from below ground if I look closely, most seem to still be alive if I scratch the stems, but I am not feeling very hopeful. We did have a very cold spring and the weather has been grey and dry until just recently so maybe they are just a bit behind. I'll keep you posted but if anyone has any pearls of wisdom please comment below. 

Not much happening in the raspberry patch.

This year I'm starting to think about making more of an impact with my pots and containers and will be planting up a hanging basket and container for by the front door this weekend so I'll share with you how that goes. And last but not least, I'm just in love with my rhododendron. I've never had one before but the flowers are just exquisite and seem to go on and on. 

Rhododendron 'Madame Masson'.

Happy gardening. 

Heather